TEN property repossession claims were lodged at Worcester's county court by landlords or mortgage lenders during the coronavirus lockdown despite the evictions ban, figures show.

Housing campaigners ACORN called for the ban on new evictions from social and private housing to be extended beyond September 20, warning thousands across England and Wales will be at risk of homelessness when it is lifted.

Though bailiff and eviction activities were paused as part of the ban, claimants have still been able to lodge property possession claims ahead of court eviction cases resuming.

Ministry of Justice data shows 10 claims were submitted to the Worcester County Court between April and June.

All claims were from private and social landlords, with none from mortgage lenders.

There were significantly fewer claims made this year than during the same period in 2019, when there were 320.

This reflected the trend across England and Wales, where the number of possession claims made between April and June fell to 3,183 – a drop of 90%.